Florida Poems

Regional collections of poetry can often be so narrow that only people that are from or living in that region can appreciate. However, McGrath's "Florida Poems" is an exception. Perhaps it is because Florida is a state that most Americans visit at some point, even if it is just to visit Disney, McGrath doesn't just show the beautiful side of the state or only the ugly side of it either, but a beautiful coherent combination of both. Not only is the colonization of Florida explored, occasionally lamented, but readers step inside Chucky Cheese's and the geography of Florida itself. While there are two long poems in this collection, they are well worth reading, and especially the first one, "A City in Clouds" provides, if not retells, a myth of Florida. I especially enjoyed "William Bartram Beset by Crocodiles," "Hemingway Dines on Boiled Shrimp and Beer," and "Trouble With Miami." I previously read "Road Atlas" just before this collection, which is another book I would highly recommend. So even if you never set foot in Florida itself, "Florida Poems" is an excellent way to visit Florida from the bookshelf.